If you are having any issues with the site, have a question, an idea to improve the site, or would like to give some feedback - then these can be done in the Feedback Forum and General Assistance sections.

From the 1st February 2019 the OriginalTrilogy•com’s monthly running costs will no longer be funded by Jay (who had benevolently covered the site’s monthly overheads for nearly 16 years!) - and the site moderators are asking for donations from the community here to keep the OT•com up and running.

What is a ‘PM’? (and how do I send one?)

‘PM’ stands for Private Message. This is a useful function for exchanging information you may not wish to put up on the public part of the site - for all to see.

To send a Private Message… at the top right corner of the screen you will see a ‘speech bubble’ next to your avatar. Click on this and then select the ‘Start a Private Topic’ icon. You will also be able to see your past Private Message conversations.

Alternatively, you can click on the name of a member here on the forum that you wish to contact - and select the ‘Start a Private Topic’ option to send them a PM.

When the speech bubble at the top right of the screen is filled in (a solid pale blue colour) it means you have received a new PM to read. If the speech bubble is hollow it means you have no new PMs to read.

I see a lot of abbreviations & acronyms on here - what do they mean?

Please note: whilst some abbreviations / acronyms may make it a lot easier / quicker to type or read certain word & meanings - the use of ‘txt spk’ on here is not encouraged - so please refrain from using it, thank you.

How do I report an issue / Contact a Moderator?

Whilst you can use the ‘Report’ button for any posts you may take issue with on the site… please note that at present all the ‘Reports’ only go through to Jay (the Site Owner & Admin) - and not the Moderators.

As you can imagine Jay receives a LOT of Reports, PMs and emails to sort through - on top of his other Admin duties - and even a life outside here.

So, if you wish to contact any of the Site Moderators instead with any issues, queries or concerns etc - you can do so by sending them a Personal Message (aka a ‘PM’) by clicking on their respective names below…

Does the site have a NSFW (Not Safe For Work) Policy?

Images may not contain nudity or graphic depictions of violence, death, etc at all on this site.

If you are going to post something that could be considered NSFW then do so in a NSFW labelled thread - or use the ‘Spoiler Code’ above, AND clearly mark it as ‘NSFW’.

If in doubt as to whether something you are going to post may be unsafe for viewing at work, or if you’re not quite sure that the content is NSFW, then err on the side of caution - and use the above ‘Spoiler Code’.

While there are no specific restrictions on profanity, please exercise restraint. Dropping an F-bomb here and there isn’t going to get you banned, but excessive profanity shouldn’t be necessary to make your point.

I have tried getting in contact with the author of a Fan Edit / Project to acquire it - but haven’t heard back… (what next?)

Hopefully the PM you sent them was polite. It may also be the case that the project author isn’t online every day - or even every week - and may have a ton of queries or other stuff to get through before dealing with your request - so please try to be patient.

It’s also likely worth posting in the project’s respective thread - letting others know you are after a project - they may be able to help you. Continually posting requests or being abrupt / rude will possibly see you receive less help.

Also, people may be more likely to help you out if you are an active member of the community here - you don’t have to be a fellow fan editor, tech wiz, artistic or skilled etc; just a member that has made, or is making, an effort.

General Info…

Fan Edit & project authors are responsible for the availability / distribution of their releases - it may well be frustrating that you have found information on a long sought-after project on here (or elsewhere) - and yet have no way of acquiring it, though unfortunately on occasion that is the way it is…

Also, check some of the Fan Edit / Project sites linked to below - they have good, friendly and knowledgeable communities as well. Remember… be patient, be polite - it may just come down to good fortune if you acquire it or not. Ranting about how unfair it all is - or ‘what a rubbish system it is’ - won’t likely get you any help that may have been coming your way.

A general, yet important, rule on many a Fan Project site is… ‘Before obtaining any fan project, you must be in ownership of the official retail release’.

Another rule is do not post direct download links to Fan Edits or Preservations etc on this site (though links to a short demo or trailer is fine) - see the post above this for more info & details.

Myspleen aren’t currently giving out invites / Can I have a Myspleen invite / Myspleen requests etc…

Myspleen (a private torrent site) are not currently issuing invites to their site - and haven’t done so for some time.

No-one here is affiliated with Myspleen, we have nothing to do with Myspleen, we are as much in the dark about this as you - and so we cannot help you with invites or other info - so please DO NOT ASK ON THIS SITE - thank you.

(^ We’ve already had hundreds of posts about this - and members’ patience is understandably wearing thin on the issue)

Why don’t you guys just have links to downloads (torrents and file share site links etc) on the OT•com?

To acquire a Fan Edit you will likely have to read the Editor / Author’s thread (usually in their 1st post) - or PM them for instructions on how to acquire their project. You will also have to own the official retail release - as per the site’s Preservation / Fan Edit Rules & FAQ.

‘We ❤️ Star Wars and give it all the moneys. Please don’t sue us.’ - this applies for every Fan Edit on here (not just for Star Wars releases) - we pay for the film/tv/media release beforehand; via purchasing the blu ray or digital download etc.

We are not pirates - and this is not a torrent or download site.

The site and community would prefer not to raise our profile any higher than it already is. We have a nice thing going where people are being allowed to work on Fan Edits and then share them with others who own the retail release - without the copyright owners bringing the hammer down. Let’s keep it that way.

Posting links to torrents and file share sites is a sure way to bring the wrath of Disney and other film companies here. We’ve been around since 2003 - so let’s not do anything to jeopardise our future - and likely that of the Fan Edit community as a whole.

For a list of allowable links for this site please click on this link and scroll down to the ‘FAQ Section’ - Number ‘9. What kind of links can I post?’

What kind of download links can I post on this site?

The only direct media links allowed are for short trailers or samples to demonstrate quality. You may also post links to fan-made DVD artwork, subtitle streams and unreleased/obsolete audio or video (this is NOT the same as rare/out-of-print. If in doubt, ask a moderator first.) Do not post torrent files, NZB files or Rapidshare links for downloading copyrighted materials, nor links to sites hosting such files. You are however allowed to mention names of websites or newsgroups where fan edits or preservation projects can be found.

Do not link to websites selling bootlegs/silvers or eBay auctions for non-official media.

In summary:-

“PM me for the download links to my project” - is acceptable.

“Now available on a.b.starwars” - is acceptable.
“Click HERE for NZB” - is not.

“Torrent uploaded to piratebay” - is acceptable.
“Get the torrent at www.atorrentsite.com” - is not.

“Mega links are available at fanedit•info” - is acceptable.
“Mega links can be found on this page” - is not.

“look for the Star Wars Fixhund file with pcm audio in 1080p” - is acceptable.
“Star.Wars.IV.1977.MULTI.VFF.1080p.PCM.AC3.x264-Fixhund” - is not.

Furthermore, obfuscated or hidden links (ie, links behind an icon or a single character in the post text etc) are still considered direct links, will be removed - and will result in a ban.

It IS quite easy to acquire the Despecialized Editions. There is some effort involved in obtaining them - yet this pales into insignificance the efforts, dedication, time, mistakes - and learning from them, money invested, sacrifices made, and ‘blood, sweat & tears’ that Harmy and his fellow contributors undertook to bring about these Editions - as well as the work and projects that went before - all of which are available for free.

Many, many people with hardly any IT / computing skills at all (and also those for whom English is NOT their first language - or may have struggled with)… have managed to acquire a copy of the Despecialized Editions - by following HanDuet’s clear and concise The Ultimate Introductory Guide or solkap’s superb Guide / Instructions in his thread, here - link.

A little patience and effort is often all that is required (as well as a pc and an internet connection 😉) Don’t be intimidated or overawed - just take your time and follow the instructions - one step at a time.

If you get stuck on a particular issue / step… read through the respective threads to see if it has already been addressed/answered - and if not, then there are usually a good few members on here who’ll try and answer any questions - to help you along the way.

Note: As many modern tv sets have USB ports built-in… you don’t even have to burn the Despecialized Editions to blu ray discs any more to be able to watch them. A simple and relatively cheap USB Drive (aka a flash drive - or ‘thingy stick’ 😃) will play the films just fine - in an mkv or mp4 format etc.

Others often use devices such as Chromecast or WDTV, XBox, Plex or other ‘media centre’ style setups (or just a pc with a video cable to the tv) to play back their catalogue of film, tv and music etc.

For those who do wish to have the Despecialized Editions on blu ray discs - yet do not have a blu ray re-writer on their computer… they now cost around $50 / £45 for an internal burner, and $80 / £70 for an external burner. Prices continue to drop over time… and pre-owned writers are available at even lower prices.

I don’t have a computer to acquire project X - or blu ray writer to burn project X to disc - please help…

Computers are easier and cheaper to come by than ever before (even with blu ray writers installed) - especially for pre-owned computers - whether from a high street shop, an online store, independent pc or electric store, charity or thrift shop, advertised in a local paper, or on sites like ebay, gumtree or pre-loved.

Friends, family, neighbours, acquaintances, your local internet cafe, public library may also be options… to be able to acquire somme the great projects here, and also burn them to disc - if need be.

Some smart phones and tablets may also be able to acquire projects that appear listed here too.

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread… many modern tv sets have USB ports built-in… you don’t even have to burn project X to a blu ray disc any more to be able to watch it. A simple and relatively cheap USB Drive (aka a flash drive - or ‘thingy stick’ 😉 will play the films just fine - in an mkv or mp4 format etc.

Others often use devices such as Chromecast or WDTV, XBox, wireless harddrives, Plex or other ‘media centre’ style setups (or just a pc with a video cable to the tv) to play back their collections of film, tv and music.

For those who do still wish to have project X on a blu ray disc - yet do not have a blu ray re-writer on their computer… they now cost around $50 / £45 for a new internal burner, and $80 / £70 for a new external burner. Prices continue to drop over time… and there are many pre-owned burners also available at lower prices.

I have found some online sites and listing selling fan projects from on here…

Please know and remember this - the people who sell these freely available projects do so on the backs of the Fan Editors’ long, arduous & hard work - all given for free. The same applies to those who designed the cover and disc art, and also the people who put together any extras such as interactive menus or bonus / additional content made for these projects as well.

Many of these sellers make considerable money from selling these Fan Edits - despite often claiming that they are only charging ‘for their time and to cover costs’. These claims are false - they substantially profit from their actions.

The quality of product you see in many sellers’ ‘unboxing’ or ‘promotional’ videos on youtube etc may be nowhere near the quality of what you actually receive; some people have received non-working discs, cheap quality discs, poor quality covers printed on standard letter paper, low quality ink settings used, broken disc cases, just being sent the discs themselves instead of in their protective boxes - and without disc covers and artwork too (despite some ‘review’ videos showing the contrary).

They also endanger the future of any and all future projects too. It is a golden rule of owning these freely available Edits that you must own the official retail release (or digital download) - and that no-one profits from the making & distribution of them.

Some sellers have even deleted comments on their sites from Harmy and other Fan Editors letting people know the above info - and that all these projects are freely available elsewhere…

Harmy, the author of the Despecailized Editions, released a 4 minute video on the subject to youtube - just to remind everyone that Fan Edits & Projects must never be bought or sold:-

There is a thread to discuss such issues, here - Dealing with People Selling Fan Projects - in the ‘Star Wars Preservation’ forum. Please keep discussions on the matter confined to the above thread - thank you.

It’s worth remembering that people profiting off bootlegs and other people’s work has always taken place - from Con halls, merch stalls, car boot sales to under-the-counter deals at disreputable videos shops (and now glossy looking websites and ebay). It doesn’t make it right, it is annoying and frustrating - yet there is only so much we can do. eBay doesn’t seem to care along as they get their cut - though they will take listings down when reported (despite a reluctance to ban or sanction the sellers; £$€s) - so keep on reporting the leeches on there as you see fit.